Chapter 26 - Unraveling

Willow sat on her bed, replaying the last few hours in her mind. The cold water she had splashed on her face earlier felt refreshing. She felt more awake and, for the first time that day, composed.

Cere's words had been exactly what Willow needed. She realized that she had to learn to manage her emotions rather than fight against them. Her feelings had scared her since she was a child - even back at the orphanage, she had occasional outbursts. Thankfully, they had never been as visual as they were today. This was partly because her magic hadn't manifested until her early teens. But she had always been highly empathetic, sensitive to emotions, and preferred to keep her own feelings at bay. She never expected that this would become her downfall.

She was just relieved to have regained a small sense of control. And, on top of that, she could now be sure that Cal's behavior wasn't a reflection of her character.
There he is again, Willow thought. You really don't want to leave my thoughts, do you, Cal Kestis?

She chuckled. Just a few hours ago, she had almost hated every thought of him because he wouldn't leave her mind. But now, with a completely new perspective on the situation, she felt differently. Still, the question arose of how best to approach Cal now. She knew him well enough to understand that he rarely talked about his emotions. But maybe she could bring up the topic subtly, letting him know she was there for him?

She bit her inner cheek, considering. Maybe it was better to avoid the subject? But then, they'd never break out of this vicious cycle. Willow sighed. In the end, she'd just have to improvise. If she'd learned anything, it was that overthinking every possible scenario was a waste of time - especially when it came to the redhead.

Willow stood up from her bed and glanced around the small room. Her gaze fell to the floor, where the picture lay. She approached it and carefully picked it up. The photo was starting to look worn - the edges were soft and frayed, and the picture itself had some creases. The sight made her a little sad. She usually took good care of her belongings, and it was disappointing to see something so dear to her in this state. She'd definitely look up a spell later to restore it.

Taking care not to crease it further, she tucked the photo back into her corset. Then, she grabbed her wand, which had been lying next to the picture. She heard a clatter from elsewhere on the ship and made her way to the Mantis' main area. The crew seemed to be busy.

When she arrived, she saw Cere and Cal sitting on the couch, with BD-1 chirping happily in front of them. They were talking and hadn't noticed her yet. Willow stood on the steps to the kitchen and watched the crew. Hard to believe that these people had grown so close to her in such a short time. She didn't feel she deserved their generosity. One day, she swore, she'd properly thank them.

Right now, the two Jedi were laughing at something BD-1 had said. Willow couldn't help but watch Cal. His laughter was her favorite sight. But she noticed that his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. He wasn't fully present, and Willow could see it. Her heart sank a little. Maybe she could distract him, even if just for a moment? Could she even manage that?

"Ah, Willow," she heard the captain's voice. He had just come from the cockpit.

Willow snapped out of her thoughts, instantly blushing. Had he seen her watching Cal? She hoped not.
Trying to play it cool, she walked down the stairs casually.

"Greez," she greeted with a nod.

Greez moved toward the couch and gestured for Cal to scoot closer to Cere so he could sit down. Cere glanced up at Willow and patted the empty spot next to her.
"Come join us. Let's spend a little time together before we land."

Willow sank into the soft cushions of the couch.
"Speaking of landing," she said, drawing the crew's attention unexpectedly. They waited patiently for her to continue.

"Uh," she hesitated, a little flustered by the attention.
"Ilum, right? What's it like there? Should I dress warmly, or is it already warm?"

"Oh," Cere chuckled, "Dear, Ilum is freezing!"

For a moment, Willow wasn't sure if Cere was being sarcastic or dead serious. Surprised, she looked at Cal, who nodded with a shrug. Her eyes widened.
"Wait, really?"

"Yes!" Cere grinned. "But it's a special planet - absolutely breathtaking and very important to the Jedi."

"Yeah, I've heard about that," Willow replied.

"Well, girl, I hope you've got warm clothes," Greez chimed in.

"Well... I have my robe and a scarf. That's usually enough for winter on Earth."

"And if it's not, you can stay on the ship with us," Greez said, pausing to glance at Cal before leaning conspiratorially toward Willow.
"The kid can handle it alone for once. He's gotten spoiled with all this company."

Willow's gaze shot to the redhead, who was left speechless, his face showing disbelief. His expression made Willow burst into laughter. Cere and Greez joined in while Cal just shook his head, though Willow noticed the hint of a smile playing on his lips. He glanced at her for a split second, and she felt a sudden warmth spread in her chest. The moment was fleeting, though.

After a while, Willow noticed Cal leaning back slightly, crossing his arms as he quietly listened to the conversation. Cere and Greez continued joking, and a small smile crossed Cal's face as BD-1 chirped cheerfully. But even in his smile, there was a hint of distraction.

"What about you, Cal?" Cere asked, clearly noticing his silence.

Cal looked up, hesitated for a moment, and then shrugged.
"I'm fine," he said softly, his voice almost drowned out by the hum of the ship. "Just thinking."

After his response, the conversation continued seamlessly. But Willow couldn't help glancing at Cal from time to time. It was clear something was weighing on his mind. Fine lines formed between his eyebrows, though he still reacted slightly to the topics at hand - a small laugh here, a shake of his head there.

The crew spent some more time in the lounge, the atmosphere lively and the topics varied. They joked about all sorts of things, and soon Greez excused himself.

"This ship doesn't fly itself," he said as he trotted back to the cockpit.

"We're close to Ilum. I should check in on Imperial communications," Cere added, making her way forward as well.
After a brief exchange of glances, Cal and Willow followed them.

"Can we help with anything before we land?" Cal asked.

Greez glanced at the control console and grumbled, "We need to manually adjust the temperature for Ilum. The automatic system fails under such extreme conditions. It's best if two of you handle it - one monitors the console, and the other checks the sensors in the tech room. That'll keep the system from overheating or freezing."

Willow briefly held her breath, glancing at Cal out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't entirely sure why. A team task, then. Willow figured they worked well together as a team, but this would mean they couldn't avoid each other much. Both the sensors and the console were in the tech room, which she had never been to before.

Cal nodded and turned to leave, glancing over his shoulder at her.
"Come on, I'll show you where it is."

Willow nodded and followed him. He stopped in the corridor near the sleeping quarters, where a hatch was hidden in the floor. Cal bent down, lifted the hatch, and climbed down a few steps. Willow hesitated for a moment, surprised she'd never noticed the hatch before, then followed him.

The tech room was dimly lit, and the space was tight for two people. Luckily, BD-1 had come along, and his flashlight provided just enough light to see the essentials.

At the other end of the room were the sensors, and by the ladder was the console. Willow now understood why it was easier with two people - if you were alone, you'd constantly have to twist your head to monitor the console. She didn't even want to think about the neck pain.

"I think you should handle the sensors," Willow admitted with a light laugh.
"You're way more technically skilled than I am."

Cal turned to her and nodded.
"Alright, sounds good. Do you know what to watch for on the console?"

Willow shook her head. Cal moved closer to explain it to her, and in the narrow space, their shoulders brushed. He walked her through the console's functions and her role. She listened carefully, but she found it hard to take her eyes off his handsome face. Being this close, she had to tilt her head up slightly - Cal was a bit taller than her.

His slender fingers moved across the console, pointing to various buttons and symbols. He quickly explained what she needed to do and where the sensors would show up. Then he turned and moved to the sensors.

The room was so small that they were practically back-to-back. Willow had to admit, the proximity made her a little nervous - but in a good way. Cal started adjusting the sensors, as he had explained earlier. It would take a few seconds for the adjustments to show up on the console.

"The first sensor is set. Let me know when you see something," Cal said, and then silence fell between them.

Something blinked on the console.
"All in the green," Willow responded, and Cal moved on to the next sensor.

The silence that hung between them was heavy, but not necessarily unpleasant. Willow felt the urge to break it. Yet, every topic that came to mind would likely lead to a direct confrontation, so she stayed quiet.

To her surprise, it was Cal who eventually broke the silence.
"That was quite the jolt you sent through the ship earlier," he said, throwing her a slight smile over his shoulder.

Willow felt herself flush and quickly turned her face back to the console.
"Uh..." she laughed nervously. She knew Cal would never intentionally put her in an awkward position. He likely meant it as friendly teasing. Little did he know why that outburst had happened.

"Yeah, that... That wasn't on purpose. I hope I didn't break anything," she admitted quietly.

"Don't worry about it. It just caught all of us off guard. I didn't even know you could do that."

"It was just a result of some pent-up frustration," she tried to keep her voice casual.
"I tried the Patronus Charm again, but..."

"It didn't work?"
Cal had turned toward her. Willow mirrored him and saw the curiosity in his eyes. Their task was momentarily forgotten, their focus now entirely on one another.

"No," she lowered her gaze. "Not at all. Nothing happened. That was basically the last straw. First, the miserable training this morning, and then failing the spell. That's why the magic outburst happened."

Cal seemed to be thinking. Then he asked, "Have you talked to Cere about it?"

Willow turned back to check the console. Cal adjusted the next sensor before they both faced each other again.
"Yeah. She came to me after the outburst. The conversation helped," she admitted. "I see things a bit clearer now."

"And..." Willow began. She hesitated, but she had to bring it up somehow. She couldn't let her feelings linger between them any longer.
"Have you talked to her?"

Cal looked confused.
"What do you mean? About what?"

"I mean..." she sighed, fiddling with the strap of her wristwatch to distract herself.
"I mean, you seem so lost in thought lately."

Cal turned around to adjust the next sensor. Willow signaled from the console that everything still looked good. She bit her lip, thoughtful. He hadn't said anything yet, but surely, he knew what she was getting at.

Cautiously, she spoke up again.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," she said softly.

Then she heard Cal take a deep breath. What he said next seemed a bit out of context at first, but his words made it clear that he understood what she was getting at.

"I just don't know what I want right now. Everything feels so... complicated."

After his confession, silence fell again. Willow hadn't expected that. Surprised, she turned to face him. Cal was adjusting the last sensor before turning to her.

"And you? Do you know what you want, Lills?"
His expression was serious, but Willow detected a hint of hope in his voice.

Willow hesitated. It was probably best if she responded with the same honesty. Gathering all her courage, she hoped it was what he wanted to hear.
"I'm not sure either. I never wanted things to become so... chaotic. All I know is that you matter to me, Cal."

A charming smile slowly spread across his serious face. It was subtle and understated, but this time... this time, his deep green eyes smiled along with him.

Willow turned to the console one last time. She confirmed the settings for all the sensors, and a wide grin spread across her face. The conversation couldn't have gone better, and she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Without looking back, she climbed up the ladder.

She heard BD-1's muffled chirps and Cal's voice responding to him. She would've loved to hear what he was saying, but it was probably not meant for her ears.

Cal emerged from the hatch a moment later, closing the tech room door. They strolled side by side back to the cockpit, and with each step, Willow felt lighter. Her mood was so good that she playfully bumped into Cal with her shoulder.

Quickly, she created a little distance between them and glanced over her shoulder. Cal shook his head, grinning, and Willow took it as a good sign. Then, she plopped down into her seat in the cockpit.
On to Ilum.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2.383 Words

and finally we got some interaction between those two! things are looking up again! or are they? just kidding (or am i? muhahaha)

feel free to let me know what u think!

till the next one,
~Alice

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